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Tuesday, 24 February 2015

I think I've died and gone to eyeshadow heaven! The pictures don't do it justice, I'm not sure my words can but I'll give it a go...Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Scultping Eyeshadow Palette* £40 contain five superluxe, not just luxe, SUPERLUXE eye shadows in a sexy and sophisticated navy and gold palette. Let me tell you, choosing just one of these palettes was tough, but after swatching the hell out of them at the Estee Lauder counter, I picked Rebel Metal.Rebel Metal is a perfect medley of earthy toned hues with stunning shimmery finishes. With champagne, gold, coppers and browns, it's universally flattering and work really well with my hazel green eyes. The powders are incredibly plush - smooth, lightweight and creamy, they glide on, melting into the lids with the most intense colour pay off. The palette does it all - mix and match the shades to create everything from natural, intense or dramatic eye looks, They blend to perfection - even if you're no dab hand with the eyeshadow brush, these formulas are fool proof and look professional every time and the depths of colour are stunning in all lights. Oh, and you can use them wet or dry!

It's been a while since I've checked out what Estee Lauder have got going on. If this palette is anything to go by, I've been missing out! Check out Estee Lauder Make up at Harrods

Friday, 20 February 2015

For me, Secret Camouflage is one
of those products that I’ve wanted for AGES, but never got round to buying.
From the minute I started watching Lisa’s (Eldridge, in case you’re not on
first name terms) videos, I wanted it. And now I have it... was it worth the
hype?

I’ll cut to the chase; it’s
completely different to what I expected. The texture is extremely stiff. At
room temperature, I’m talking February in Northern England, it’s as stiff as a
board. Sweep your brush over the concealer and you get, well, next to nothing.
It takes a good rub, preferably with a warm finger to loosen and release the
product – similar to a stick foundation but stiffer. Once you have the product
loosen, on your hand or face, it does become softer, pliable and easy to work
with. You know when you go on holiday and all your make up melts? Well that
might actually be a good thing for Secret Cam. Texture surprise aside, once you
get used to it and find the best way to work with it, you discover it’s pretty
damn amazing!

It’s very, very pigmented. It’s
thick, but not cakey, meaning you only need a tiny bit and boy does it pack a
punch. I’ve developed what can almost be described as a bindi spot on my
forehead. It’s a small red spot, maybe a blood vessel, but it’s very noticeable.
This makes it disappear! It’s excellent for the ol’ pin-point concealing. I
take a tiny brush (Real Techniques Detailer Brush) take the product from the
palette of the back of my hand and dab directly on the spot. Using my finger I
then blend the edges. It blends seamlessly, no trace that I’m wearing concealer
at all, in fact, it’s kinda magic. The colour match is perfect too. I’m NC25-30
and went with SC-3. There’s a lighter yellow toned shade on one side and a
slightly smaller, pink toned shade on the other, allowing you to blend and
customise your own perfect shade. Spots, discolorations, even eye bags...
Secret Camouflage has quite literally got them covered! It’s as good on larger
areas as it is on teeny tiny blemishes. It dries to a natural finish and lasts
all day. I can certainly see why it’s a make up artists dream.

It’s certainly not a dab and go
concealer. It takes a tad more precision and effort, but if you want bullet
proof coverage that lasts all day, this is it! So, to answer my question, is it
worth the hype? Hell YES! I’m glad I’ve got this in my kit now. I use it most
days on the “bindi” and I would highly recommend it for occasion/bridal makeup.

Tuesday, 17 February 2015

I’m all about the multi-tasker and few products work harder than argan ail. By now I think we all know argan oil is pretty amazing. Loved by make up artists and celebrities the World over - Eva Mendes, aka the woman that snagged Ry-Gos calls it her total skin secret... if it's good enough for Eva!!!. It moisturises, it hydrates, it softens. Use it on the face, body, nails and hair - no wonder they call it liquid gold. BUT

Not all argan oils are equal. Don't be fooled by poor imitations, it needs to be 100% pure argan oil to reap the benefits.

The Moroccan Argan Oil £13.99* by the Morroccan Argan Oil Co. has all the hall marks of a top class argan. It has the light golden yellow
colour, comes in an amber glass bottle, has a mild nutty aroma and contain only 100% PURE ORGANIC ARGAN OIL. It melts into the skin quickly and effectively leaving skin soft, moisturised and plumped. Packed full of vitamin E, it's one of nature's most effective moisturisers and rich in fatty acids, which helps protect the skin from
wrinkling... it's basically an all-round skincare wonder.

Here’s just a few things I use The Morocaan Argan Oil for;

Soften
cuticles - a couple of drops on the nail bed and massage into cuticles

If you fancy trying The Moroccan Argan Oil take advantage of the 30% off promo code. Enter code NEWYEAR30 until 28th Feb to bag the discount.

Thursday, 12 February 2015

Imagine you’re a mascara on
Benefit’s production line. You wouldn’t want to be the one that follows They’reReal, AKA the UK’s no1 best selling mascara, would you? But then you're a Benefit mascara and they’ve been working on you for four years and it turns out, you’re pretty
damn good yourself.

Benefit 'Roller Lash' Mascara is
all about the curve – and we’re talking serious, close-your-eyes-and-the-curve-is-still-there, curve! Bin the eyelash curlers because this one does it all.
It curls, it lifts, it lengthens and it boosts.

97% said
it visibly lifts lashes

87% said
it gives long-lasting curl

94% said
eyes look more wide open

The skinny, curved “Hook’n’Roll”
brush gets right down into the root of the lashes. Laced with mini lash catches,
it scoops the lashes and drags them to new heights, fanning, separating and
lengthening as it goes. With minimal effort it makes my lashes look inconceivably
long and adds some major curl action. And unlike other curve/lengthening
mascaras, it doesn’t neglect the volume. It plumps the lashes with jet black,
glossy formula and fans them perfectly for a more wide open look. Absolutely no clumping, no smudging. I wasn’t
expecting to be wowed by this mascara, but I am!

Benefit 'Roller Lash' Mascara
goes on sale at the end of February. Thanks to Elle Magazine you can bag a
sample (or two) this month and if you’re impressed, you can pre-order at QVC
advanced order £15.82 RRP £19.50.

p.s please don’t judge the brows
in these pictures. They’re going through a major grow back mission and have NOT seen a tweezer this year!

Tuesday, 10 February 2015

This month’s Birchbox is keen!
Hardly seems like two minutes since January’s landed on the door mat... not
that I’m complaining. So it’s February, and Birchbox are in the mood for
luuurve with the Birchbox Loves box.

Wild About Beauty Golden Skin
Glow | Full Size £21

A bronze tinted gel/moisturiser.
I had a swatch as soon as I got my hands on this... don’t be scared, it may
look like Ronseal but the semi sheer coverage means you won’t look like
Donatella. Instead it adds a natural bronzed glow with a tiny hint of shimmer.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance
Serum 10ml | Full Size £45/30ml

When it comes to serums Caudalie
is king. I’ve tried the Vinosource S.O.S Thirst-Quenching Serum so I’ve got
high hopes for this radiance-boosting, oil free formula.

KMS Tame Frizz Soothing Lotion
£15.50

I wince whenever I see hair
masks, hair smoothers, de-frizzers. If you could veto one product from your
beauty box, this would be it. I have fine hair with greasy roots!
Understandably I steer clear of anything like this. Still, if this is your
thing, the lightweight leave-in lotion detangles and tames frizz.

Talk about brush porn! Just when
you think Real Techniques brushes couldn’t get any better, they go and bring
out the Bold Metals Collection. Now I’m well stocked up after adding the ZoevaRose Gold Brushes to the stash at Christmas and there’s no way I can justify
adding these... but my heart does desire. Maybe I’ll just visit them from time
to time in Boots.

The contour palette for novises and make up artists alike.I’m yet to see a bad review on this easy to use and wins every time contour palette. And with waiting lists as long as my wish lists, it’s more of a when, than if this
will be mine.

Anastasia, what are you doing to
me! I regularly browse Cult Beauty drooling over her products. Dipbrow (review here) has
indeed wowed me and next on the brow wish-list is Brow Wiz. I’m expecting this
will be ideal for times when I need to brow n go. The only thing I’m hesitating
over is the shade. Cue hours lost scrolling through swatches online.

Terry, Terry, you’ve been on my
wish list for years. Heralded by many as the best under eye concealer/highlighter in the World and with a wider brush for extra coverage, I’d love to try it but the price tag makes me whince. At £37.50, I’d
rather have eye bags :)

It may surprise you to know that
there’s actually quite a few Liz Earle products I’m yet to try and next on the
Liz-wish-list is the Deep Cleansing Mask. It’s the time of year skin needs some
extra nourishment and I’ll be honest, I think the cute little sponges this one comes with is winning me over

I may be awash with eyeshadow
palettes (Naked 1,2 and 3) but I have an unstoppable urge to own this. Miss Maven has been championing this in her videos for yonks and I'm desperate for a slice of the action. 8 mattes, 8 shimmers - perfect! Probably a blessing that it's only available in the US.

What's on your wish list?

Tuesday, 3 February 2015

Oh Hello there unsung hero. As I
opened a brand spanking new MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powder and marvelled
at its beauty I realised I hadn’t given it the airtime it deserves. It’s
probably my most used, most repurchased piece of make up. It’s also sporting a chic little make over!
In case you hadn’t noticed, MAC recently changed the packaging of its
Mineralize Range. If I’m honest, I wasn’t a fan at first. Have you ever seen
fake MAC products kicking around the markets of Egypt or Greece? Well that’s
exactly what it reminded me of. I liked the old packaging with the see through
window, but I’m over it now and I will admit the mirror is a welcome edition.

Packaging rant aside, MAC
Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, you’re my kind of powder! I’m all about the
natural, dewy base and this is the first powder that doesn’t mask it. Ideal for
“setting” foundation! And I don’t mean set like concrete, more finish it off
and make you look done. I use shade Medium Plus which suits my skintone (MAC NC25-30 for reference) perfectly. Described as a "Tan Beige" it's quite light and neutral. It’s fairly sheer and won’t change the colour of your
foundation and its mineral pigments and natural-matte finish make it
lightweight enough not to cake or mask your look! It does however add a little extra
coverage and can be worn alone like a mineral foundation. After foundation
application I lightly dust it all over my face paying attention to the Tzone.
Aside from setting the foundation and reduce any obvious shine, it has an
almost airbrushing effect leaving behind a flawless, glowing sheen - think Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders but a hella lot cheaper. See it in action in my All About That Base feature.